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42-645: Circus Ring was a dark-coated bay filly with no white markings , bred and owned by the Snailwell Stud of Newmarket, Suffolk . She was sired by High Top , who won the 2000 Guineas in 1972 and later became a successful breeding stallion. His other progeny included the St Leger Stakes winner Cut Above , the Oaks winner Circus Plume and the Prix du Jockey Club winner Top Ville. Circus Ring's dam Bell Song

84-459: A Thoroughbred horse named Birdcatcher , who had similar flecks of white on his flank and tail. Ticking or rabicano involves white flecks of hair at the flank, and white hairs at the base of the tail. The most minimal form can have only striped white frosting at the base of the tail, called a coon tail or skunk tail . Flecks of white on the root of the tail or scattered over the flanks may also be called Birdcatcher ticks . Scarring on

126-410: A depigmentation pattern. It is a dominant allele , and thus a horse needs only one copy of the gray allele , that is, heterozygous , to be gray in color. A homozygous gray horse, one carrying two gray alleles, will always produce gray foals. Gray is common in many breeds. Today, about one horse in 10 carries the mutation for graying with age. The vast majority of Lipizzaners are gray, as are

168-401: A roan or a rabicano . Some heavily fleabitten grays may also be confused with roans. However, roans are easily distinguishable from grays: roan consists of individual white hairs on a dark base coat, usually with the head and legs of the horse darker than the rest of the body. Rabicanos also have intermixed white hairs primarily on the body with a dark head. With gray horses, the head is often

210-450: A roan with more uniform intermixing of light and dark hairs. As they age, some gray horses, particularly those heterozygous for the gray gene, may develop pigmented speckles in addition to a white coat, a pattern colloquially called a "fleabitten gray." Gray horses appear in many breeds, though the color is most commonly seen in breeds descended from Arabian ancestors. Some breeds that have large numbers of gray-colored horses include

252-434: A base coat, there are other markings or patterns that are used to identify horses as with Appaloosa , Pinto or Brindle , as well as artificial markings such as branding . Facial markings are usually described by shape and location. There may be more than one distinct facial marking and if so, will be named separately. Occasionally, when a white marking extends over an eye, that eye may be blue instead of brown, though this

294-433: A common ancestor that lived at least two thousand years ago. The discovery that gray can be linked to a single animal provides an example of how humans have "cherry-picked" attractive mutations in domestic animals. Gray is controlled by a single dominant allele of a gene that regulates specific kinds of stem cells . Homozygous grays turn white faster, are more likely to develop melanomas, and are less prone to develop

336-635: A division on the Princess Maiden Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse in July. She was always among the leaders and accelerated clear of the field in the last quarter mile to win easily by seven lengths from Wintergrace. Later in the month, the filly was moved up in class for the Group Three Princess Margaret Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot Racecourse . She started the 4/6 favourite against

378-414: A field which included several highly regarded fillies including Fairy Tern, Atossa and Silojoka. She produced what Timeform described as "one of the most breathtaking displays by a two-year-old filly that we have seen in a long time", taking the lead approaching the final furlong and sprinting clear of the field to win by ten lengths. At York Racecourse on 19 August, Circus Ring started the 1/4 favourite for

420-439: A gray horse as "white". However, most white horses have pink skin and some have blue eyes. A horse with dark skin and dark eyes under a white hair coat is gray. However, a gray horse with an underlying homozygous cream base coat color may be born with rosy-pink skin, blue eyes and near-white hair. In such cases, DNA testing may clarify the genetics of the horse. Some grays in intermediate stages of graying may be confused with

462-439: A gray horse is homozygous (GG), meaning that it has a gray allele from both parents, it will always produce gray offspring no matter the color genetics of the other parent. However, if a gray horse is heterozygous (Gg), meaning it inherits one copy of the recessive gene (g), that animal may produce offspring who are not gray, depending on the genetics of the other parent and Mendelian inheritance principles . Genetic testing

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504-437: A horse usually results in white hairs growing in over the injured area, though occasionally there may be no hair growth over the scar at all. Horses can be uniquely identified by more than just markings or brands. A few other physical characteristics sometimes used to distinguish a horse from another are: Some horse coat colors are distinguished by unique patterns. However, even for horses with coat colors that are arranged in

546-547: A horse who has papers saying it is "gray" when the horse in front of them appears white. To further complicate matters, the skin and eyes may be other colors if influenced by other factors such as white markings , certain white spotting patterns or dilution genes . The gray gene (G) is an autosomal dominant gene . In simple terms, a horse which has even one copy of the gray allele , regardless of other coat color genes present, will always become gray. This also means that all gray horses must have at least one gray parent. If

588-661: A manner unique to each individual horse, these patterns are not called "markings." Some coat colors partially distinguished by unique patterning include: Gray (horse) A gray horse (or grey horse ) has a coat color characterized by progressive depigmentation of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike some equine dilution genes and some other genes that lead to depigmentation, gray does not affect skin or eye color. Gray horses may be born any base color, depending on other color genes present. White hairs begin to appear at or shortly after birth and become progressively more prevalent as

630-418: A pinching saddle that had been worn over a long period of time. Birdcatcher spots are small white spots, about the size of a dime to the size of a quarter. They have not been linked to any specific breed, but they do tend to run in families. These spots may occur late in a horse's life, or may occur and then disappear. The spots may look like scars, but they are not caused by skin damage. The name comes from

672-578: A run in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes when she fell lame in mid-September and was retired for the season. Circus Ring began the 1982 season as the clear favourite for the 1000 Guineas , despite doubts about her stamina and ability to recover from her injury of the previous season. Two weeks before the Newmarket classic she performed poorly in a training gallop and was withdrawn from the race. She eventually reappeared for

714-441: Is how to discern a gray horse from a white horse . White horses usually have pink skin and sometimes even have blue eyes. Young horses with hair coats consisting of a mixture of colored and gray or white hairs are sometimes confused with roan . Some horses that carry dilution genes may also be confused with white or gray. While gray is classified as a coat color by breed registries , genetically it may be more correct to call it

756-419: Is not consistently seen in all cases. Common facial markings are: Additional terms used to describe facial markings include the following: Leg markings are usually described by the highest point of the horse's leg that is covered by white. As a general rule, the horse's hoof beneath a white marking at the coronary line will also be light-colored ("white"). If a horse has a partial marking or ermine spots at

798-508: Is now possible to determine whether a horse is homozygous or heterozygous for gray. The gray gene does not affect skin or eye color, so grays typically have dark skin and eyes, as opposed to the unpigmented pink skin of white horses . In 2008, researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden identified the genetic mutation that governs the graying process. The study revealed that all gray horses carry an identical mutation that can be traced back to

840-596: The Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. She looked fit and well and ran well for much of the race but faded badly in the closing stages and finished last of the eight runners behind Chalon. In 1981, the independent Timeform organisation gave Circus Ring a rating of 122, making her the highest-rated two-year-old filly of the season. The experienced racing journalist Peter Willett compared Circus Ring's performances to those of Mumtaz Mahal and Myrobella . In

882-840: The Thoroughbred , the Arabian , the American Quarter Horse and the Welsh pony . Breeds with a very high prevalence of gray include the Percheron , the Andalusian , and the Lipizzaner . People who are unfamiliar with horses may refer to gray horses as "white". However, a gray horse whose hair coat is completely "white" will still have black skin (except under markings that were white at birth) and dark eyes. This

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924-431: The pearl gene or "barlink factor", may also create very light-coated horses. Similarly, the champagne gene can lighten coat color, often producing dappling or light colors that can be confused with gray. In spite of its name, the silver dapple gene has nothing to do with graying. It is a dilution gene that acts only on a black coat, diluting the coat to a dark brown and the mane to a flaxen shade. Horses that express

966-415: The splashed white , dominant white , or sabino alleles . Horses may develop white markings over areas where there was an injury to the animal, either to cover scar tissue from a cut or abrasion, or to reflect harm to the underlying skin or nerves. One common type of scarring that produces patches of white hairs are "saddle marks," which are round or oval marks on either side of the withers , produced by

1008-412: The "fleabitten" speckling than heterozygous grays. Researchers suggest the pigmented speckles of the "fleabitten" gray, as well as more intense reddish-brown colored areas called "blood" markings, may be caused by a loss or inactivation of the gray allele in some of the somatic cells as that would explain why the speckles are more common on heterozygous grays than homozygotes. The identification of

1050-486: The Appaloosa and are seldom seen elsewhere. The dilution genes that create dun, cream, pearl, silver dapple and champagne coloring may occasionally result in confusion with gray. Some horses with a particular type of dun hair coat known as a "blue dun", grullo , or "mouse" dun appear to be a solid gray. However, this color is caused by the dun gene acting on a black base coat, and horses who are dun have all hairs

1092-568: The Group Two Lowther Stakes, in which her rivals were headed by the Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Travel On. Circus Ring traveled very easily throughout the race and Swinburn spent the closing stages looking round for non-existent dangers. Her winning margin of two lengths from Travel On was described by Timeform as being an inadequate measure of her superiority over her opponents. Circus Ring was being prepared for

1134-411: The age of a horse except in the broadest of terms: a very young horse will never have a white coat (unless it is a true white horse ), while a horse in its teens usually is completely grayed out. One must also be careful not to confuse the small amount of gray hairs that may appear on some older horses in their late teens or twenties, which do not reflect the gray gene and never cause a complete graying of

1176-561: The age of one year. Over time, white hairs replace the birth color. The changing patterns of white and dark hairs have many informal names, such as "rose gray," "salt and pepper," "iron gray", or "dapple gray." As the horse ages, the coat continues to lighten, often to a pure white. Some horses develop pigmented reddish-brown speckles on an otherwise white hair coat. Such horses are often called "fleabitten gray". Different breeds, and individuals within each breed, take differing amounts of time to gray out. Thus, graying cannot be used to approximate

1218-406: The contrast of the markings of these patterns, sometimes colloquially described as "ghosting." A gray foal may be born any color. However, bay , chestnut , or black base colors are most often seen. As the horse matures, it "grays out" as white hairs begin to replace the base or birth color. Usually white hairs are first seen by the muzzle, eyes and flanks, occasionally at birth, and usually by

1260-412: The coronary band, the hoof may be both dark and light, corresponding with the hair coat immediately above. Where the leopard gene is present, the hoof may be striped even if markings are not visible at the coronary band. From tallest to shortest, common leg markings are: Additional terms used to describe white leg markings include: A horse's genes influence whether it will have white markings, though

1302-588: The exact genes involved could differ between breeds. Chestnut horses generally have more extensive white markings than bay or black horses. Horses with the W20 allele typically have white face and leg markings. Horses may have isolated body spots that are not large or numerous enough to qualify them as an Appaloosa , Pinto or Paint . Such markings are usually simply called "body spots," sometimes identified by location, i.e. "belly spot," "flank spot," etc. When this type of isolated spotting occurs, it may involve one of

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1344-481: The first area to lighten, especially around the eyes and muzzle. Also, roans do not lighten with age, while grays always do. The varnish roan is another unusual coloration, sometimes seen in Appaloosa horses, that, like gray, can change with age, but unlike gray, the horse does not become progressively lighter until it is pure white. Varnish roans are created by the action of leopard complex within breeds such as

1386-467: The gray mutation is of great interest in of medical research since this mutation also enhances the risk for melanoma in horses: some studies have suggested as many as 80% of grays over 15 years of age have some form of melanoma. Growth rate depends on the type, and many are slow-growing, but over time, many develop into a malignant melanoma . The study of gray genetics has pointed to a molecular pathway that may lead to tumour development. Both STX17 and

1428-400: The horse ages as white hairs become intermingled with hairs of other colors. Graying can occur at different rates—very quickly on one horse and very slowly on another. As adults, most gray horses eventually become completely white, though some retain intermixed light and dark hairs. The stages of graying vary widely. Some horses develop a dappled pattern for a period of time, others resemble

1470-423: The horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life. Most markings have pink skin underneath most of the white hairs, though a few faint markings may occasionally have white hair with no underlying pink skin. Markings may appear to change slightly when a horse grows or sheds its winter coat, however this difference is simply a factor of hair coat length;

1512-404: The horse. This change in hair color means that the same gray horse will appear to be a different color over time, sometimes resulting in a need to change the color noted on breed registry papers. Other times, people traveling with gray horses who have a pure white hair coat have encountered problems with non-horse-oriented officials such as police officers or border guards who are unclear about

1554-575: The majority of Andalusian horses . Many breeds of French draft horse such as the Percheron and Boulonnais are often gray as well. Gray is also found among Welsh Ponies , Thoroughbreds , and American Quarter Horses . All of these breeds have common ancestry in the Arabian horse . In particular, all gray Thoroughbreds descend from a horse named Alcock's Arabian , a gray born in 1700. The gray coat color makes up about 3% of Thoroughbreds. Gray also affects spotting patterns of pintos and leopard complex horses such as Appaloosas . Its effects wash out

1596-596: The neighboring NR4A3 gene are overexpressed in melanomas from gray horses, and those carrying a loss-of-function mutation in ASIP (agouti signaling protein) had a higher incidence of melanoma, implying that increased melanocortin-1 receptor signaling promotes melanoma development in Gray horses. Some studies indicate as many as 66% of melanomas become malignant, though other studies have found much lower rates, and in one case, zero. Many people who are unfamiliar with horses refer to

1638-877: The official International Classification she was rated the joint-best two-year-old filly in Europe, equal with the Fillies' Mile winner Height of Fashion and the French-trained Play It Safe. Circus Ring was retired from racing to become a broodmare at the Snailwell Stud before being exported to Australia in the mid 1990s by the Coolmore Stud . She produced no known foals after 1999 and died on 25 November 2009. Circus Ring's foals: Horse markings Markings on horses are usually distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color . Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify

1680-410: The same color; there is no intermingling of white and dark hairs. Also, dun horses do not get lighter as they age. Horses that are a light cream color are also not grays. These are usually cremello, perlino or smoky cream horses, all colors produced by the action of the cream gene . However, if a gray parent passes on the gene, the hairs will turn white like any other gray. Another cream-colored dilution,

1722-481: The underlying pattern does not change. On a gray horse , markings visible at birth may become hidden as the horse turns white with age, but markings can still be determined by trimming the horse's hair closely, then wetting down the coat to see where there is pink skin and black skin under the hair. Recent studies have examined the genetics behind white markings and have located certain genetic loci that influence their expression . In addition to white markings on

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1764-413: Was a great-granddaughter of the 1000 Guineas winner Campanula, whose other descendants have included Athens Wood , Tony Bin , Dibidale ( Irish Oaks ), Vitiges ( Champion Stakes ) and Bolkonski . The filly was sent into training with Michael Stoute at his Freemason Lodge Stables in Newmarket and was ridden in all of her races by Walter Swinburn . On her racecourse debut, Circus Ring contested

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